The government of Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, has decided to do improvements to San Pancho, Sayulita and Higuera Blanca. The improvements include replacing streets and improving the town plazas. Fortunately for San Pancho this has not distrupted the flow of traffic and parking for business and shops located on Tercer Mundo (the main street).Plaza del Sol is getting a complete face lift. A group of San Pancho citizens has gathered to review the blueprints and suggest recomendations to the Nayarit State Government and make sure that the remodel works would meet the needs of the community and respect the image of a traditional mexican town and are sensitive to the environment.Will follow with updates as they are made available.

The 2nd annual Pro 2012 Surf Competition hosted by Christianos Surf Team Mexico and Covalent Surfboards was held January 13th through 15th in Arroyo Seco, Jalisco. San Pancho's own, Edgar Garcia, 14 years old, took 4th place in the Juniors sub-18 division. Sayulita was represented by well known surfers in the Men's Pro division: Felipe Hernandez took top honors with 1st place, while Adrian Rodriquez placed 3rd and Adan Hernandez placing 5th. Adan Hernandez was also presented a trophy by Artemio Qosas for "Arroyo Seco Pro 2012 Surfer of the Year", recognizing his involvement in a large number of important international tournaments and his support for the surfing industry.

Similar to the Pro 2011 Surf Competition held in San Pancho in January 2011, the contest was sanctioned by the Mexican Surf Federation and the Jalisco Surf Association under the theme of "NO ALCOHOL, NO DRUGS" to highlight the importance of a lifestyle free of substance abuse. This theme parallels the mission of Christianos Surf Team Mexico to mentor and instill a positive influence on the youth in Arroyo Seco through a clean lifestyle that revolves around surfing. Contestants from the U.S. and France joined their Mexican counterparts to vie for awards that included 4 surfboards donated by Tony Chamberlain of Covalent Surfboards. Sponsors KUMA and MATUNAS Organic Surf Wax also contributed to the awards for the winners. Media coverage included journalists from ESPN and RUTZ magazine. The awards ceremony on Sunday featured entertainment by Christian performers DJ PIN, reggae artist MAJHAVE, and Christian rap artist 12 CLAN.

Saturday and Sunday contestants faced 4-5 foot waves with slight offshore winds. The swell was consistent during the event, and shaped well with occasional sets exceeding 8 feet and breaking typically to the right. Overall conditions were very good for the contestants to demonstrate their surfing skills to the panel of judges and the enthusiastic spectators that lined the beach.

Hidden in Las Lomas, just a few miles north of San Pancho, lies an amazing jungle orchid and plant farm. The farm is not open to the public yet and not expected to open until next year. Entreamigos has offered 2 private tours and plans other tours to come.The owner, Alejandro and his colleagues have been planting orchids and other plant species for more than 7 years. A delightful path takes you on a hike to all the many plant species.

Orchid, this sole word conjures up all that is beautiful, exotic, rare. An aura of fascination has always encircled this extraordinary plant family. Its cultivation is considered difficult. Not so. In a climate as the one we enjoy in San Pancho and surrounding areas, to maintain a healthy and productive orchid collection is a task that can be accomplished by any lover of flowers.

There are specimens as big as a tree, and miniatures with flowers as small as a pin head and so many different kinds!

In case you needed another good reason to stop by Hotel Cielo Rojo & Bistro Organico this Friday (Art Walk), we invite you to check out our renovated cocktail menu as we feature our newest creation, JALAPENO MARGARITA - delicious, refreshing and fiery! For this friday, enjoy your cocktail in our patio and chef Juan Diego will prepare one of his delicious appetizers for your table - on the house!

In the mood for other concoctions? You will also love our Pear Martini or Authentic Mojito. Bar & Restaurant Bistro Organico is open Tuesdays to Sundays, inside Hotel Cielo Rojo.

Freshly Baked Pies, Cakes & BreadThe team at the Bistro have been busy baking every afternoon with our visiting pastry chef Barbara Buffington - creating homemade, baked on-site and absolutely delightful new desserts! Come by in the next few days to try what they've been creating -

Apple Pie (tang of lemon, sweetness of apples, zip and color of cranberries)

Marmorkuchan (german for a fabulous lemon and chocolate marble cake)

Oh So Chocolate (chocolate-layer cake).

Barbara - a creater and collector of unique and delicious recipes - comes to us from British Columbia where she is well known for her exquisite pastries.Bistro Organico desserts are baked on-site with quality ingredients and lots of love. We are open for Breakfast and Dinner Tuesdays to Sundays.

As always on Friday Art Walk, courtesy tasting of our house tequila is the perfect way finish off the week. See you then..

Join us for a Magical Photo-Journey of Venice, Verona, Chamonix, Courmayeur & Cortina

A benefit for Educational Scholarships at EntreAmigos

Friday Feb. 10th

FREE!

doors open at 4:30

photo presentations from 5-6pm

Come early and buy a raffle ticket for the scholarship fund at EntreAmigos.

There continue to be many families that live in a state of poverty that makes it difficult to send their children to school.

We believe that education is more than a luxury in life, we think that education is the way to have a better planet and it will definitely change the life of children in this town.

EntreAmigos Scholarship Program is endeavoring to match Scholarship Donors with deserving, verified-needy students in San Pancho. These students must have strict requirements in and after school, like maintain a B average or participate in community activities.

Scholarship programs assist these students to stay in school and focused on their studies and their pursuit of education. It also provides them with additional learning opportunity through extra-curricular classes and activities.

Hilloah has been creating and guiding hiking tours in all areas of the Alps since 1999. A hiker and skier her entire life, Hilloah feels totally at home in the mountains. She enjoys mixing the deep cultural heritage with the immense grandeur of the European Alps. Join us for one of our fabulous European Alps Cultural & Hiking Tours!

I love the saying: "Everything changes except change itself, change is the only constant" and this applies well for the San Pancho estuary.

Being the "intermediary" between the river and the ocean, this brackish-water ecosystem receives energy and input from both the river and the ocean but also from the diverse community of animals and humans surrounding it.

With over 97 species of birds registered in the last 5 years, this diverse ecosystem that also became the home of a family of young crocodiles

Crocodylus acutus

(from which at least one still remains) about 3 years ago, continues giving us surprises. During a tour in the morning of December 24th

(Christmas Eve) we spotted a Neotropical River Otter

Lontra longicaudis

which is a new sighting for the estuary in the recent decades and unfortunately has not been documented with photography yet.

Some other changes that are noticeable are that the estuary surfaced enlarged due to the erosion of the natural barrier that was provided by a ridge of vegetation that created a channel that paralleled the beach in front of the water treatment plant. Once the heavy rains of last rainy season, probably accelerated by the new concrete street that accelerates the water flow, broke the above mentioned ridge caused the water flow at the estuary to be more consiste nt and get closer to the ocean. Now every time the tide goes high, salt water from the ocean refills the estuary which causes a higher salinity and the enlargement of the water mirror.

This has also changed the diversity of bird species, we have less ducks and teals which prefer muddy areas but in another hand we have more fish which will benefit egrets and cormorants, not to say the crocodile and if still around the river otter. In any case, a cleanup of the estuary edge is required as well as keeping the interest on monitoring this amazing and important habitat for San Pancho.

I've always turned my nose up at the idea of going to Lake Chapala. "Too many gringos". Well, we were there this last weekend and it is wonderful! We stayed in the pueblo of Chapala at Chapala Inn and it couldn't have been more perfect. This is a 107 year old house on the lake that has only 4 rooms. I want to move in and live there. Or at least build our house in Villa Morelos in the same fashion. 12 foot tall ceilings, a library with a fire place, a sun deck off of our room (which has french doors onto the most incredible lake view). And breakfast, ah, breakfast in the formal dining room. I'm spoiled. You can see their website at www.chapalainn.com. I know where I'm going next chance we have to get away for a few days and this time we'll rent cruiser bikes and ride round the lake on the bike path. Oh, and I found my perfect kitchen there, too! As for the home front, I walked into the living room yesterday to find 2 dogs, 1 cat and 3 chickens all hanging out and waiting to be fed. I'm changing the locks. My friend and writer Liz asked me if the chickens were housetrained. Being funny I was going to tell her that we use Pollo Pampers but after a google search I found there really are chicken diapers! Lord, save me. Sazón de Tamara is my hearts desire. I love being there and preparing food! Thank you to everyone that comes and eats. I wake up early and plan the menu every day! Sometimes curry soup doesn't seem all that appealing at 4:00am...Things I am grateful for: a marriage that just keeps getting better and better, mini-vacations and a soon to arrive grandson!Blessings, Tamara

Its Easy ! At EntreAmigos!If you, or your guests that are coming to the San Pancho area, have extra space in your suitcases, and things you want to donate to the recicla shop -For example; clothes, shoes, jewelry, scarf's, belts, DVDs, camera's -Possibly Things you replaced this Christmas, please remember us!

The Recicla Shop has been open one year! It HAS become a source for the community to find and purchase affordable and unique items. The purchases then support entre amigos, and we are beginning to see the flow!

So to keep the gifted items coming in - (tax deductible!) Please remember us when you and your friends are coming or going!

If so, we hope you are advertising on SanPanchoLife.com and reaching the hundreds of visitors we receive to our website everyday. Our rates are very affordable, your success is 100% guaranteed, and best of all you are helping to support our community website.